Archive for homophobic

We're in the middle of a cultural war everywhere in this country, but I particularly feel it here in Mississippi, where I live. I know many wonderful, creative, progressive people here.

Hollywood, however, doesn't see them or have any interest in them because there's no drama in living a happy, normal life.

While the Coen Brothers film O Brother Where Art Thou (Wiki) was well made, it still perpetuated a stereotype of a racist, backward state - in 1937.

Mississippi Burning is a film which takes place in in 1964. This is 2014, 50 years later, and the Mississippi of today is nothing like the Mississippi of 1964 or 1937 - for most people except right-wingers..

And then there are the 'eternal yesterdayers' - a literal translation from German for neo-Nazi sympathizers - right-wing politicians who long for 'the good old days' of being able to discriminate against anyone for any reason which strikes their fancy. They're still around and their poisonous thinking has, sadly, affected a small percentage of younger people.

The newest attempt of the right-wing 'take America back' crowd (an ambiguous concept if there ever was one) to set us back: legislation which, using the pretext of 'religious freedom', legalizes discrimination against gays.

Yesterday I posted a story that was covered nationwide about two gay dads who received a hurtful and homophobic rejection RSVP to their daughter's 7th birthday party. I, like most of those who came across the story, found it outrageous and wrote about it. Every news source I could find was running with this story.

It turns out it was a lie. A prank made up by the two radio hosts. Their outrageous and thoughtless prank not only embarrassed me for falling into it, but millions of other who took this for a real story. These two charlatans even went so far as to produce the phony evidence which I printed. To all of you who read my outrage, I'm not sorry for misleading you. I was taken.

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Two New York area radio hosts have apologized for talking on-air about a note they fabricated from a fictitious parent chastising a supposed same-sex couple over their child's birthday invite, and the broadcasters admitted they kept on with the lie even after it took on a "life of its own."

Steve Harper and Leeana Karlson of Long Island pop music station WKJY, also known as K-98.3, posted the apology on Friday on the station's website.

The actions of Harper and Karlson are despicable. I'm a bit surprised that so far this hasn't met with enough outrage that the station, whose Facebook page showed the phony invitation with the hurtful response, hasn't taken a more pro-active stance and removed these two from their programming line-up. A suspension at the very least is called for.

Harper and Karlson wrote in their apology that they made the note with the goal of spurring a "healthy discourse on a highly passionate topic."

"We are very sorry that we perpetuated this falsehood, even after it was clear that it had taken on a 'life of its own,'" they wrote.

The story of this non-story is how these two affected a number of lives with their scheme. They have potentially set back a movement of tolerance and understanding with this prank. I will forgive, as that's the proper thing to do, but I also expect the station to take a stand here and now. Either condemn these two shameful souls with action or they are condoning this all with their silence. Right now it's leaning toward the latter. If so, shame on the station. If not and WKJY acts, it's just shame on Harper and Karlson.

AP- A group of gay Boy Scouts, leaders and their families say they have 1.4 million signatures on a petition to the organization to end its ban on gay members. The Boy Scouts may consider reversing its policy during a leadership meeting. (Feb. 4)